Automatic ice maker



June 14, 1960 H. .1. LOEWENTHAI. ETAI- 2,940,276

AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1958 INVENTORS HENRY '.r. L cEwENl-HAL. HAROLD P. HARLE F'IGZ THEIR ATTORNEY United States Patent O AUTOMATIC ICE MAKER Henry J. Loewenthal and Harold P. Harle, Louisville,

Ky., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 781,059

3 Claims. (Cl. 62-138) 'The present invention relates to an automatic ice maker and is particularly concerned with an automatic ice maker designed as an accessory for a household refrigerator.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic ice maker of simple and .compact construction for use in a household refrigerator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide .-an ice maker particularly adapted to be incorporated in the fresh food compartment of aA household refrigerator ;and so constructed and arranged that the space required Afor the ice maker is held to a minimum.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will Jbecome apparent as the following description proceeds 4and the features of novelty which characterize the invenztion will be pointed out with particularity in the claims .annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an ice maker designed as an accessory for a house- -hold refrigerator having a cooperating evaporator element vertically arranged along an inner side wall of a refrigerated compartment. Preferably, the evaporator .is disposed in a recessed portion of the side Wall. The .ice maker includes an ice making component or element which is arranged in the recess in heat exchange relationship with the evaporator and a water supply component suitably mounted within the fresh food compartment of .-.the refrigerator. The ice making element comprises a .substantially vertical face sheet providing an icemaking surface, a rear sheet for mounting the element in heat ,exchange relationship with the evaporator and a heater :support and heater sandwiched between the two sheets for periodically warming the face sheet to ice releasing temperatures. he face sheet is provided with a plurality .of spaced indentations of depressions for receiving metal buttons, the shank portions of which extend through the sheets and the heater support and are headed or riveted over onto the rear sheet to fasten the sheets and heater support together. By providing a continuous ow of water over the front surface of the face sheet by means of a pump forming part of the reservoir component, refrigeration of the metallic buttons through contact of the rear sheet with the evaporator causes -ice pieces to form on the buttons. Excess water collects in a trough arranged below the ice making element and is returned to the reservoir. For the purpose of obtaining an even distribution of water over the face sheet, the upper portion of this sheet is formed to provide a horizontal ledge onto which water is directed from a water distribution tube connected to the outlet end of the water pump. In order to separate the ice pieces periodically released from the ice making element by energization of the heater from the base sheet or plate, the lower end of the face sheet -includes a downwardly and rearwardly extending portion and a grid positioned in this portion of the face 'sheet having a plurality of spaced teeth which bridge the 2,940,276 Patented June 14, 1960 direct the ice pieces Aover the forward edge of the trough and into a suitable storage container.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a household refrigerator including the automatic ice maker of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is asectional view along line 2- 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 1'; and

Fig. 4 illustrates a control `circuit suitable for the automatic control of the ice maker of the present invention.

With reference to Fig. l of the drawing, the ice maker of the present invention is illustrated as an accessory for a household refrigerator comprising insulated'walls defining a fresh food storage compartment 1 and an insulated door 2 for closing the access opening to that compartment. The ice maker is designed to be mounted Within the storage compartment 1 along one side Wall 3 thereof, it being understood that the remaining volume of the compartment 1 will be occupied by shelves 4 or the like for the storage of foodstuffs. For the purpose of cooling the contents of the compartment 1 there is provided an evaporator 5 arranged along the side wall 3 of the compartment through which refrigerant is circulated by means of a motor compressor unit 6 disposed in the machinery compartment 7 located below the fresh food compartment 3. Also, as part of the refrigerating system there is provided an ice maker evaporator 1'1 which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is composed of a plurality of passes of refrigerant tubing arranged in a vertical plane within a recess 12 provided in the lower portion of the side wall 3, the walls 14 of the recess 12 preferably being made of a plastic or other heat insulating material.

The ice maker of the present invention broadly comprises an ice making element 15 adapted to be mounted in heat exchange relationship with the evaporator 11 and Water supply means 16 adapted to be mounted in one of the rear corners of the compartment 1.

As is best seen from Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, the ice making element which is vertically arranged in contact with the evaporator 11 comprises a face sheet 17,

a rear Vsheet 18 of `metal or other good heat conducting gap between the trough and the sheet. These teeth break the adherence of the wet ice pieces for the sheet and recesses 21 for receiving the circular heads 22 of a plurality of buttons 23 composed of aluminum or the like and including Shanks or stems 24 extending through the face `sheet, the heater support and the rear sheet 1S. The Shanks are headed over or riveted on the outer surface of the rear sheet to hold the sheets and heater support together. By this arrangement, the heads 22 of the buttons are refrigerated or cooled to freezing temperatures by the evaporator 11, the heat flow path from the heads 22 including not only the Shanks or stems 24 but also the circular elements 28 forming part of the heater support 1,9. Y

When a film of water is directed over the face sheet 17 from a supply tube 31, localized refrigeration of the spaced areas ofthe face sheet 17 on and adjacent to the button lheads 22 .results Yin the formation of ice pieces shown in dotted lines and indicated by the numeral 30 on the face sheet 117. When these ice pieces have reached a suitable size, energization of the heating element 32' in the form of an .electrical resistance heater looped about .the".various elements 28 and held in engagement with the rear surface of the face sheet 17 by means of the anges 33provided lon the elements 32 is used to override the refrigerating etectofAhe evaporator 11 and melt the bond between the'ice'pieces 30 and the button Vheads compartment lmand be' dischargedffromthatcpmpart;

' 22 so'that the ice pieces slide downwardly over theisur- Vimmediate and relatively uniform distribution orf the Vwaiter Yover the face sheet 17 this'sheety has for-ined in the upper portion thereof and immediately..belowthedischarge tube 31 a ledge 55 extending in a substantially-horizontal direction or plane; ByY means of this' ledge 55 and byproviding a'pluralit-y of 'spaced' 'outlets inthe distribution.

' contacting the main evaporator 5 senses a temperatureY tube 31, a thin continuous Vlmofr water YHowsA downwardly over the entire fronti surfaceV of the face s'heet'17;

VFor the purpose of containing theQWaterSdischargcdh-om Y preferably p-rovidediwithk anges-''nly oneifofY which is.. shown,V along` its Vside edgesand-vpreferblylsoas shown in VFig; vl ofjthesdrawingthe'se sidfedgesftaper toward the 4bottomoftheface sheet- 17 'in ordertas'sure a continuous filmV ofVv wateroyerA all of the freezing areas of the face sheet 17. -Excessfwater -froin'th plate VY157 is caught in a ydrain trough` 39 disposed-directly below Y the main'or button containing portion of Ythe vvfac':e"sheet 17 Yand is returned to lthe-res'ervoirlth'rough they drain tube 40." e j, Y 5 fi,N

` in order to assure separation of periodically released ice piecesfrom the lsheet/17,Ythe lower'endfofthe face sheet isbent rearwardly andY downwardlyas indicated Y by the numeral l45Yand a grid- 47-is `disposed in this area.

The contour of the sheet atfthis,'poiilt' isV such 'thtffthe thinV iilrn of water flowing?downwardlythereover Vwill adhere to the surface'ofthe sheetlndbe carriedfback-` Y ovei the troughv39. The grid--l47'fis-providedr*with:a pluraltiy of downwardly vrand ntorvvvardly' extendingY teeth 48 horizontally spaced-along the length of the gridy which is attached to the facev sheet 17 inth'e' Var'eroftheicontouredportion 45pm-such a manner" thatfthe' "teeth 48 will cause'thev sliding ice-'piec Vto Iseparate'frontthe face sheet-and be discharged forwardlyfoverthfront-edge `of the trough39,an apron StiontlieA forwardfedge' o f Y Ythe trough39 providing! means]v fondischar'ging thedce pieces into a receptaclel positioned the'compartment 1 below and Vin frontV of the'ice making element l15. Agcove'r plate 52 extending*betweetheanges43 of the face T sheet -17 'preventswaterfrom -splashing oir"A the faceisheet'lT and into'th stor'agelcompartment 1 land also `helps to insulatelthe icefniking-elementfromthe normally' Yhigher Ystorage compartmentftniperature: v e" lUpon operationgof -thefrei-glc'rratingvlunitftou-cool the Yevaporator 11, the buttonheadsl 2f@are*maintainedd'at*sub freezertenplerzyatures'r so thatjduringrthe tirnfewwater Hows over the sheet-17 vthere Yis gradually frorniedthereonjthe ice pieces Y3i); Thejexce-waterilowingdownwardly o5 thelower edge portionvof theface/'slieet 17 into vthe Y trough 39 returns'y to thereservoir'throughthe drain tube 4t?. When the ice piecesSQ-'have reachedjtheirdesired size, energization of theheaterz provides suicient heat Yto over-ride the refrigerating eiect 'of theievapor'ator".Y 11` so that the bond betweenl the ice piecesp Yand'rthcffr'aceA Y. sheet, 1primarily thev button'hrfadsA22,V is ybroken whereupon l the ice pieces, while still adhering/togt'hejface'sheet '17 ment through `a drain tube S, andY slightly above freezing and to open when the element 63 senses a temperature Welllbelowjreezingras for example 0 F. Thus, the evaporator'S forcoolingrthe'compartment 3 uctuates the temperature between the defrosting temperature slightly above freezing and a temperature of abouti-OWF. Vin order 'to maintain the compartment 1 atI refrigerating but above freezing temperatures.v The heater 32 andthewate'r pump 37 are connected across the line 61 through a double-pole switch 64' Vwhich is thermostatically controlled in response to the' change in temperatures sensed by a sensing bulb 65 positioned adjacent'one of the button headisZZ, the switch V64 being designed to' 'energize Vthe water pump 37 wheneverV the sensing 'element 65'senses a temperature aboveffree'zing., i.e.,the temperature of the water flowing over itY from thereservo'ir, Vandrto" cie-energize the water pump 37 and energize the heater'32 whenever the ice pieces 30 have grownfto thepo'int where one o fthcm contacts the sensing eleme'ntf, and reduces theftemperature Ythereof thus indicating that the pieces are ready to be harvested. After freezing of-'the'ice pieces, switch 64 resets the unit for Vmaking"another batch of ice by conditioningthepurnp Ycircuit for energization Ywhenever'sv'vitch A62 is closed."

Bythe'cont-rol circuitryg'it-will be seen that while'the harvesting of the iceV pieces 30is partly'independent of theicompartrnentcold control switch 62, so that harvesting Vcan take place when the switch 62 lis closed, the controls are so' arranged that the water pumpY 37 is conltrolled'bys'witchfzwso-that it is shut ol whenever vthe refrigerating unit cycles ofi.` This allows the ice torm-VV ing'areason the face sheet V17 tolquifclsly pull downto evaporator temperatures and trip the control switch V64 to energize the heater."` By arrangement harvestingoi icerwhich/'has Vnot grown to full size is obtained during theY oifcycles', which ice would otherwise completely melt ifthe watrpurnp continued tol circulate Water over the 'face'sheet i17-during the'tirne lthe compressor 6 isY not 'Inorderr to discontinue the icemelting operation when the'desired amount oflice isrcollected in the-container 51,

VSutri-teli-1neans"responsive to Vthe weight of the ice in this Yswitch/67 to a closed position When .the weight of the because of thewet surfacesthcreofuin jcontact witlrthe Y Sheet, sude'downwardly imo comajcfwirh Qfhegrrfi 'teeth' 48. The forwardly s'lopinglgridteethf48rdisengage the f ic@ pisses from the fece Sheet lschftherarl lischarged overth lfrontedge Orffthsgitwuehnfof m0111511 and intothe'storagereceptacleSlif' bef 10P sQmpalfmnVli-Operatins :at i above freezing; tem peratures',` there is provideda hole ofthe vstorage*container'51'sorthatnreltage*jwateif can drain trorn this receptaclejontohe brottom'jwall'fofr'the ice j initherj container 5&1 overcomes the biasing.V action. of Vthespring 72,1 the switch'v is opened to de-energize both theheater'zjand thewaterpugnpj37. Y Y

Asthe' 'water vin theY reservoirv 35" isgradually consumed ingthemanufacture Vor.jfcu'mation of ice piecesiimeans are alsoY 'provided for automaticallyY replenishing the sup'- plyfof Water.' For this purposc'there is provided a supp ly;` linel 77 'iconnecte'd to'V asource offresh Water 'and a jsolcnoidroperatedj valve '78* foncontrolling the ow ,of water Afi'on'finthesupply line 77 intothe vinlet vtube '79' on theJreservoirjSSLj As itxwill be seen from Fig. '4 of the drawins. the 'solenoid'valve 78 iisi collnsictedv -acrss' the supply lines 61 through a oat switch 81 and the bin control switch 67. The oat switch 81 is designed to open valve 78 when the supply of water in the reservoir 35 reaches a predetermined low level and to close when it reaches a predetermined high level.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood that modiiications may be made by those skilled in the art without actually departing from the invention. lt is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such variations come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet including inner side walls defining a storage compartment, one of said walls having a recess therein, a tubular evaporator comprising a plurality of passes disposed in a vertical plane in said recess, an ice making element vertically disposed in said recess in front of said evaporator, said element comprising spaced vertical face and rear sheets, said face sheet being formed to have a plurality of de pressions therein, said rear sheet being in heat exchange relation with said evaporator, a heater support disposed between said sheets and including flanged elements in contact with the rear surfaces of said depressions, an electrical heater carried by said heater support and including loops supported on said flanged elements between the flanges thereof and the face sheet, metal buttons having head portions disposed in said depressions and shank portions extending through said sheets and said flanged elements for securing said sheets and said heater support together, means for tlowing a lm of water downwardly over said face sheet including a water distribution tube horizontally arranged adjacent the upper end of said face sheet, said face sheet having a horizon tally extending ledge formed in the front side thereof above said buttons and below said tube for distributing water across the front surface of said face sheet, a trough arranged below said element, said face sheetV including a downwardly and rearwardly extending lower portion below said buttons for directing water owing over said sheet into said trough, means for periodically energizing said heater to release ice pieces formed on said buttons whereby said ice pieces slide down the front side of said face sheet, and a grid positioned on said lower portion of said face sheet and having teeth for disengaging said ice pieces from said face sheet.

2. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet including inner side walls dening a storage compartment, one of said walls having a recess therein, an evaporator insaid recess, an ice making element in heat exchange relation with said evaporator, said element comprising spaced face and rear sheets, said face sheet being arranged in a substantially vertical plane and being formed to have a plurality of depressions therein, said rear sheet being in heat exchange contact with said evaporator, a heater support disposed between said sheets and including anged elements in contact with the rear surfaces of said depressions, an electrical heater carried by said heater support and including loops supported on said hanged elements and clamped between the anges thereof and the face sheet, metal buttons having head portions disposed in said depressions and shank portions extending through said sheets and said flanged elements for securing said sheets and said heater support together, a water supply and distribution tube horizontally arranged adjacent the upper end of said face sheet for owing water over said face sheet and buttons, a trough arranged below said element for receiving water flowing from said face sheet, said face sheet including a downwardly and rearwardly extending lower portion below said buttons for directing water flowing over said sheet into said trough, and a grid positioned on said lower portion of said face sheet above said trough and having teeth for disengaging said ice pieces from said face sheet and directing said pieces over the front edge of said trough for discharge into an ice piece storage Ireceptacle.

3. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet including inner side walls defining Ia storage compartment, one of said walls having a recess therein, a tubular evaporator comprising a plurality of passes disposed in a vertical plane in said recess, an ice making element vertically disposed in said recess in front of said evaporator, said element comprising spaced face and rear sheets, said face sheet being formed to have a plurality of depressions therein, said rear sheet being in heat exchange relation with said evaporator, a heater support disposed between said sheets and including flanged elements in contact with the rear surfaces of said depressions, an electrical heater carried by said heater support and including loops supported on said ilanged elements between the flanges thereof and the face sheet, metal buttons having head portions disposed in said depressions and shank portions extending through said sheets and said flanged elements for securing said sheets and said heater support together, a water reservoir in said compartment, a water distribution tube horizontally arranged adjacent to the upper end of lsaid face sheet, a pump yfor supplying water from said reservoir .to said tube, said face sheet having a horizontally extending ledge formed in the front side thereof above said buttons and below said tube for distributing water across the front surface of said face sheet, a trough ar-v ranged below said element, said face sheet including a downwardly and rearwardly extending lower portion below said buttons for directing water owing over said sheet into said trough, means for periodically energizing said heater to release ice pieces formed on said buttons whereby said ice pieces slide down the front side of said face sheet, said trough including an apron on the front side thereof below said face sheet, a grid positioned on said lower portion of said face sheet having teeth disengaging said ice pieces from said face sheet and directing said pieces onto said apron for discharge into an ice piece storage receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,866,322 Muiiy Dec. 30, 1958 

